Category: WELLBEING

Posted on

RECONNECT WITH THE MOTHER IN YOU, AS SHE IS EVERYWHERE.

Motherhood takes us all on a journey that most of us could never ever imagine. I recently had to visit Iceland for both business and family. I knew I would be extremely busy working etc.. so after talking it over with my partner we decided that I’d travel alone without my sons for 5 days!!

It was just too much hassle to take them with me and I would half work and half mom, so in the end I probably wouldn’t have been able to do either things well. I went on my own and felt happy in my heart knowing my sons would spend quality time with their father. I could be in peace  focusing for a little while on “mothers spell”  which also now beats in my heart 🙂

Iceland means many things to me. Iceland has a special place in me and has taught me so much –  about myself, our nature, our planet and the energetic connection to ourselves. When I landed in Iceland, as always,   I felt some sort of peace. I don’t know if that is because I am from there or because of the  extremely powerful energy that exists all over the country in absolutely everything and everyone. I feel inspired and I want to share so much of it with all of you. That’s partly the reason I createdMothers Spell.

I reached out to a magic girl by reputation, a fellow Icelandic sister called Saga. She has a special Icelandic eye and a magical spirit. The name Saga means “story”.

I asked her to join me on a  mission to photograph the spirit of mother nature in Iceland with me. Which to me sounded even impossible, but I had some ideas in my mind and somehow knew she would understand them. The spirit and nature of Motherhood.

Where we all come from and our powers. Women are creatures created in power who continue to create more power, through generations and generations.  I felt strongly that during this trip we had  some magical Icelandic places that we journeyed through. A deep connection to the mother in me and the mother I was standing on. Even though my sons were far away, I missed them so much but I instantly felt how happy I was to be their mother. I saw in this magical moment all the things I wanted to do and be better at for them. I saw the mother that lives in me. We live each day learning so much that we don’t even have time to realize.

When standing there in the freezing cold but feeling so warm in my heart with my best friend Kristin, whom is a stylist and mother of two beautiful girls. Saga the magical Icelandic woman, with an eye and soul of a natural creator. How safe we were and should be when we are surrounded by women. We all share something, the fact we are all mothers even if we don’t have children of our own. We are feminine and in that lies something motherly. Support and understanding and side by side we are so strong.

I thought also what if we all had the time every now and then just to try and reconnect with the mother in us and the mother we all come from. My message to you is, do whatever it is that makes you feel magical. Walk in nature, listen to the mother – the mother that is a mother to everyone. Notice her as she is there to support you. Lock your doors and play loud music, dance naked if you feel that’s what you have to do. All by yourself and awaken your feminine energy. Find a way to remember who YOU are.

I will change the slide show for awhile with mother nature’s magic from Iceland. My Iceland. Hope you like it and can feel it as much as I do.

love JM

@Photo, Saga Sigurðardóttir

Posted on

SPRING IS HERE!

If you are as excited as I am for this beautiful spring weather so you can play outside for as long as possible each day,  then you are reading the right article. 😉

There are so many options of things to do with your kids and whole family. These days as we don’t have to run inside to take a break from the cold weather we can just stay out and play, nap and eat; no real reason to go home or inside for that matter. This is the perfect time for picnics and all sorts of games. My sons are smiling more and I have to drag them home each day from the park. The past two weekends we have gone to a farm in the Italian countryside to say hello to the animals and play in wild nature. We collect sticks, look at many different shaped rocks and uniquely colored flowers. The list of clever and inspiring things to do with your children and the whole family is quite long these days. In case you need some ideas, I would like to share with you some of my favorite ways to enjoy beautiful days with family.

– Go for a walk in a park or countryside , followed by a picnic break for lunch with home packed foods and snacks. Great to pack some books to read by the trees while you digest. A ball to kick around and play some soccer.  This way the family can relax together,  no need to run home in the middle of fun to make lunch as you can all just eat in the grass. After that  you can take a nap in the fresh air on your blanket, wake up and continue to play 🙂

– I think every child loves to blow bubbles, or the parent can blow them and the children will run through them and try to catch them. Singing a good song at the same time can make the dancing and running more fun.

– Decorating the neighborhood or little streets and stones in the park with many different colored chalk. My sons can sit at it for so long and they get lost in their thoughts while drawing with all different colors. Don’t mind the mess you can always wash up when you get home, it comes off easily.

– Simply observing  nature. I know I may sound strange saying, ” look at stones” and ” look at all the different flowers” to those of you who have not done this before with your children. I do know many parents do this, I see it all the time in the park. Children love learning and my sons seems so interested and curious when I explain that the tree in the park is a life and it’s helping to clean our air or the flowers change and grow into flowers with many beautiful colors. They start to carefully look around their surroundings and  ask questions about everything they spot. If we look closely there are so many toys and games just laying around in nature. My older son can sit still for so long just picking up small stones and running them through his fingers and to me it seems like some sort of meditation. He is in peace and in deep thought.

– Playing with water and getting wet or dirty is not a crime. Let children be free and who cares if their clothes get dirty? They NEED freedom every now and then, just as we do. A healthy child is a child who is allowed to explore and sit in the grass, get stains and then (thank God we are fortunate enough to have washing machines)  we can just wash their clothes later. Not always but often times I do see people in Italy , more so than other places, not allowing their children to get dirty in the park or at the playground. I also  sometimes see parents or grandparents become angry at the child who sits on the ground, lays down on a pile of leaves, gets wet while playing with water, or a bit muddy when playing with wet sand and touching it with their fingers. It is on all levels healthy for them to play  and explore the earth’s different materials and textures. I see the children who are dirty from playing tend to be the ones with a  huge smile on their face, and that says it all right there. 😊

– If you are living the good life and live in the countryside I applaud you, but if you are like me living in a city or a town I highly recommend that you take a look online and search for a family and kid friendly farm near you. Often they offer day trips to the farm and children are allowed to interact with all the animals and learn something about how farms work. It is really interesting for the whole family , I almost enjoy it more than my sons. You may also find many places that offer you to spend the entire weekend with them, such as a bed and breakfast – you can then play and relax in nature during the day. A night or two in a place like this does a load of good for everyone now and then. We all had such an excellent visit that we might change our lives and move into the wilderness permanently.

– Take a bike ride. Here you can even also pack your lunch and explore somewhere new, even just to check out a new park or playground. Depending upon where you live, I am sure you might have a place you have not been able to see yet that isn’t too far from where you live. I have been doing this with my son and he loves to sit on my bike looking around and often times we sing his favorite songs together. I feel this is a great way to travel between places and a great break from strollers. Of course, always be safe and use helmets, go slowly and stay away from traffic as much as possible.

Hope you find this article useful. If you have more ideas of something you like doing with your family I would love to hear from you 🙂 I hope you will have a wonderful summer and spring. Vitamin D comes from the sun so stay outside with your children and they will fall asleep happy and tired at the end of the day.

Love JM

Posted on

WHY DO WE EAT?

I have been suggesting new food ingredients lately such as:  hemp seeds,chia seeds and some new healthy breakfast ideas. I really wanted to expand further on this topic.  Why I believe in mindful eating and clean food above all the diets that are promised to make us ” bikini ready “.  The reason we eat has nothing to do with bikinis. It is all about well-being and strong healthy bodies. No one body is the same and therefore we all need different foods and diets.

First I want to say that I don’t believe in diets. Honestly, I think that in most cases they can make us feel worse then before. It can be a very unsocial, isolating and depressing experience to be on a strict diet. Many people end up failing and feel like losers who can’t control themselves mainly because they scroll Instagram and see pictures of

babes with a six pack and huge space between their thighs taking photos of themselves in a gym bathroom.

I say let’s live the life we have been given.

I say be smart, listen to your body. Think before you eat, what is it that your body needs to shine, thrive and glow? It is all about balance. Listen to your bodies true cravings, look at your skin. How are your energy levels? Do you often feel tired? Might just be that your eating habits are of out balance. Too much junk food and sugar can take a toll on your mind, body and spirit.

We don’t have to eat when we are feeling sad. We actually need to talk, cry or just exercise well ( classes, yoga, running, swimming or even a little boxing)  to get rid of built up  excess energy, sadness or anger. Eat to stay healthy and have an easier life with less disease. It is so beneficial in every way to take good care of ourselves and our families when it comes to food.

So I am most definitely not saying we should just eat seeds and goji berries. I am suggesting them as a healthy snack and a great addition to your plate as an extra boost. I want to encourage healthy relationships with food and to strive to make every bite count as good nutrition. Of course we all have our treats or favorite foods and life is much more fun with special occasions. Conducting  a little research can be helpful to gain a better understanding – use the internet and watch some of these great documentaries on food such as

– Food, Inc.

– Forks over knifes.

– Vegucated

– Food Matters

– Supersize me

– Simply raw: Reversing diabetes in 30 days

– Ingredients

– The future of food

– Hungry of change

– Fat, sick and nearly dead

It is good to know the background of what you are eating. Think about where your food comes from. Who made what you are about to eat and what it is made up of.

This can also be extremely helpful to gain understanding on how our bodies work. Especially before we become mothers and prior to  pregnancy  so that way we can understand what to feed our children.

Try to avoid empty calorie foods on and everyday basis. Most empty calorie foods are highly processed that contain added fat and sugar – cakes, biscuits, white pasta/bread, sodas, sweetened fruit drinks and ice-cream. Long shelf life foods should also be avoided. For example if you look at  baby food, I have never seen vegetables, fish or meat with such long shelf lives. It is so important what we feed our children and starting life with all this processed food and junk is not a good choice. I know it may be convenient but making food for our children also does cost less and once you get going and get the hang of it you will be surprised how easy it actually is. Basically steam and blend. Homemade clean food also has a wonderful flavor. Our taste buds are often so overloaded with salt and spices that we forgot how real food tastes. After 10 days of clean eating, sometimes less or more, you will rediscover flavors, energy, sleep, mood and just total happiness.

Do your research, look and see if there is something that might be improved. I believe one of life’s beautiful gifts is there is always more to learn. The way to find your way is by trying  many different ways and at the end you will find the right one for you. Keep an open mind and wait before criticizing, try it first and then decide.

Love JM

Posted on

SPENDING TIME OUTSIDE

In this modern age we seem to be spending less and less time outdoors. Our children are spending way too much time indoors than they used to. It’s been said that this is a big problem and creating issues we’ve never had to face before. Stress is going up by all levels and also in children. This breaks my heart. Children need a moment to run wild and free outside more than just once a week, they should everyday. When my boys spend too much time cooped up indoors I can see them get lazy and cranky. Their little bodies are just full of so much pent up energy at those times. Children have so much curiosity and creativity so by allowing them to go out explore and follow their nose towherever it may lead those innate desires get fulfilled. I believe they need to run, fall and get back up on their own. 

This way they can learn to run without falling because they will catch themselves and that is a big and important life skill. I personally think it’s never too early to acquire this skill. Kids are often much more resilient  than wethink. Since forever nature has allowed us to grow in this way.  I often see kids being overly supervised by their parents and not being allowed to get dirty because they might ruin their clothes. Obviously there should be a balance, but kids need to sit and run their fingers through sand – earth’s different elements, it is a huge part of our learning process. Getting dirty and muddy is a part of the game! Let them wonder, discover and experiment.

In my last post about kangaroo therapy I shared a bit about my first born son’s initial two weeks of life. That experience made me feel so guilty as a mother. Since then I have always felt the need to make it up to him and I became overly protective  in his first two years of life. I was sort of a helicopter mother, the type of mother I never thought I’d be. I would often over supervise him when he was running or playing in the park just to make him understand I was their for him. Catching him, protecting him and making sure he was not going to get hurt in any way. Of course this behavior can be easily understood but kids also need to feel a sense of freedom and trust towards themselves. A free space to run and the feeling of being themselves and I think they may stop falling sooner.

My son would cry very easily and give up before trying to climb a small ladder in the playground and I realized he was counting on me a 100%, so I started to change my approach. I would tell him he could do things on his own and slowly I began to see huge progress. Man, was he ever proud of himself! His ego and own sense of security started to grow really fast. I guess I was just trying to make up for the time lost when he was alone in the hospital, but my hovering definitely  didn’t do him any favors. Now with my second son I make sure to give him a lot of space. He is fine on his own climbing in the playground or being wild in nature. He falls without crying and is quick to stand back up again. Of course, I am always close by or taking part in the games they play. 

Much research has been done on outdoor activity and it’s proven to improve our overall health and sense of well being in  many different ways such as : 

Strenghtens your eyes and improves vision

Improves sleep

Reduces stress

Simply makes you feel happier

Improves short term memory

Restores mental energy

Reduces inflammation

Sharper thinking and boosts creativity

Strengthens your immune system

Improves mental health

Improves concentration

I can’t think of a better way to spend quality time with my family then to find a lovely spot in wild nature or in a beautiful park. Kick a ball around, play hide and seek, run around, look at our surroundings and just have our imaginations  run wild and free. In those moments we invent stories that happen where we are using what we see.

Now I am waiting for spring, since I am a huge fan of picnicking 🙂 Not that I let the cold ever stop me. Being outside in all weather conditions makes us stronger, strengthens our immune system. Once you return home, grab a warm cup of tea for you and the kids (my sons think they are so big and cool when I give them a cup of tea). Just make sure it’s well cooled before you give it to them 🙂

Love JM

@Photo, www.mamafedona.com

Posted on

NATURAL HEALING FOR AN EARACHE
(LAVENDER ESSENTIAL OIL)

As a child, I always suffered with ear problems which continued well into adulthood.  My poor mother watched me crying from  pain and would have to give me antibiotics from time to time (which every mother hates giving to her child).

I understand  earache pains very well , so that when my boys had their moments of suffering from it I decided to do some research and actually found a natural solution that works wonders! This made me extremely happy because they haven’t needed to take antibiotics (so far) for ear pain since I discovered this.

A doctor once wrote me a prescription for antibiotics but I tried this first and the pain completely disappeared. As a clarification,  I am not recommending that you ignore your doctor’s advice but maybe just give this a try to see if it works as well for you as it did for us. If not,  you would obviously continue with your doctor’s orders.

I just find that so many doctors don’t even hesitate to write prescriptions for antibiotics and give  painkillers etc.. which I’m really not a fan of.  I never take them myself and I hardly give it to my sons unless completely necessary. There are many natural ways to ensure good health and I highly recommend you look into that a long with your doctor’s orders. I guess the main thing is to have a doctor you really trust that listens  and  goes over all your concerns.

My earache elimination method is so simple. I  take a small cloth and place it under very hot water and then ring it well. Wait just a few seconds for it to cool down so it’s not burning hot. Take lavender essential oil and put around 10 drops close to each other like you are making a circle in the center of the cloth.

Hold on your child’s ear and gently press on it for about 5-15 minutes (longer the better) and then repeat two to three times. I have never had to do it 3x but I guess it depends on how bad the pain is.

It is very likely your child may not like this, at least in the beginning. A good song and rocking from side to side or even his/her favorite cartoon on TV may now be your little helper. It can keep your child calm and relaxed. My older son liked this very much, I think he felt relief quite fast and he loves the smell of lavender oil. My younger son wasn’t too happy about this, as he is usually quite busy to try and remain still for so long. I recommend doing this as soon as you see your child complaining about ear pain so that you may be able to relive the pain early on.

What also works is placing three drops of the lavender essential oil on the top of my fingers and massaging it directly into the earlobe area and leaving it on after the hot cloth. I leave the oil on overnight as well.

Here you can find many alternative ways to remain healthy, strong and obtain good advice on natural healing from colds and flues – http://www.mercola.com/ .

As usual I hope this can be put to good use 🙂

Love JM
Posted on

SPRAY BOTTLE THERAPY

While pregnant with Gabriel Örn,  I’d practice pregnancy yoga with an amazing woman named Audur in Iceland.  At the end of each class she’d make us lay on our mats wrapped up in blankets and surrounded by pillows to ensure we were as comfortable as possible with our big bellies. We’d breath, relax and take a tiny power nap while this wonderful woman would walk around the room with a spray bottle filled with water and 10-20 drops of lavender and lemon essential oils.

Oh boy,  was I in heaven at that moment! I loved that part so much that I decided to get one for myself .  She suggested having this at home to freshen up the air and induce positive energy. Also said that when our  moment of labor did arrive we could have our partners spray some of this magic mixture over us in between contractions and that it would help calm and relax us before the next wave of pain arrived:)  I found this to be extremely helpful and I loved the lavender / lemon rainfall over me.

Actually, I adored it so much that I now use it daily in my home.

Here is how :

If you don’t have a spray bottle handy at home  you can  head over to Tiger and buy one for cheap. I put 10-20 drops of lavender and 10-20 of lemon ( I know it’s a lot, but I just love the smell) you can put less or more , whichever suits your needs.  You could also try new mixtures, choose your favorite smell.

In the morning,  as well as in the evening I will spray the mixture around my home. In the evening I use more of the lavender oil to create a calm atmosphere. This helps my boys to fall fast and deeply asleep.  I spray a bit on their pillows and bed 30 minutes before they go to sleep ( 30 mins. before so that their pillows will be dry) 

After I hang up my laundry,  I spray my mixture over it to make it smell good . I would like to point out that I highly suggest  organic laundry soap ; you can buy this at your nearest health food store. It doesn’t contain  harmful chemicals and strong odors. It’s better for your baby, you and the whole family. I personally don’t like to wear clothes that smell too much of soap. It  gives me a headache or my skin tends to get dry and sometimes itchy. Organic laundry soap is safe for the whole family and also for theenvironment. Also another good tip concerning laundry is that from time to time our machine can have a bad odor, so In this case I will add around 5-10 drops of tea tree oil inside my  empty machine and the smell disappears 🙂

I also love a lavender/ tea tree oil combo. Tea tree oil is cleansing so I will  clean my floors with just hot water and tea tree but then add one more oil to it, depending on what I am in the mood to smell on that given day.  I especially did this when my boys were really young – laying , playing  and practicing their crawling skills on the floor all day. I hardly ever use any soap for this matter, but we never use outdoor shoes in the home so that also helps to keep our floors clean. There are many natural ways to clean our homes with out the use of intense soaps and cleaners that can be extremely harmful  to inhale. It is good to keep this in mind during your pregnancy as well because breathing in these toxic materials could prove very harmful to your growing baby, other family members and you.

There are so many lovely ways to bring essential oils into your home and they set such a lovely calm energy – more on it’s different uses later this week.

In the meantime, I hope you will  give these suggestions a try:)

Love JM

Posted on

COCONUT GLORY

Coconut Oil has been extremely popular worldwide for a few years now. It’s known as a super food/product that you can use in over 75 different ways . In your household, skin, hair, as a health supplement and for cooking.

Health websites and bloggers have been writing about it’s glory for quite some years  but Italy seems to have skipped this train. I do believe this is due to the fact that olive oil here is considered the first lady of oils and for many good reasons 🙂

Since moving here I use olive oil much more than I used to, but from time to time I like to switch things up so I will alternate between olive and coconut in my cooking.

I would like start off by providing you with you some of the many ways coconut oil may be of use to you and I think a good speech can never be repeated enough.

– For starters,  coconut oil can tolerate the highest heat out of all the oils and this is the reason why claims have been made that it’s the most healthy oil to cook with. It is high in saturated fat, but not all saturated fat is bad. The saturated fat in coconut oil is natural and natural saturated fat has been proven to be extremely healthy and even necessary for your body. It improves your health and functions in so many different ways.

– Coconut oil may help you to naturally balance your hormones because it’s a great source of saturated fat and also lauric acid.

– Coconut oil can help improve bacteria and gut health by destroying bad bacteria and candida. Candida imbalance can decrease stomach acids which then cause inflammation and poor digestion.

* There are entire books dedicated to the potential of saturated fats like coconut oil to help avoid Alzheimer’s.  If you are interested in exploring more on this topic then I suggest you read, “Alzheimer’s Disease: What If There Was A Cure?”

– It’s anti-inflammatory properties can help lessen arthritis.

–  It’s anti-inflammatory properties can also release a bloated swollen stomach.

– Blend a tablespoon into hot tea to help speed recovery from a cold or flu.

– Rub it in your nose to reduce allergies.

– Can reduce the itch of mosquito bites.

– Coconut oil makes an excellent eye-makeup remover all on its own.

– Add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to make a delicious massage oil.

– As a natural shaving cream and aftershave lotion.

– Mix with seal salt to remove dry skin on feet.

– Natural homemade diaper cream.

– Use it alone or with baking soda as a natural deodorant.

– By itself or with baking soda as a naturally whitening toothpaste

– Rub on cuticles to help nails grow.

– Rub on elbows or knees daily to alleviate dry, flaky skin patches.

– Excellent lip balm.

image2

– After dish-washing use as a hand lotion or before going out in cold weather to protect your hands from dryness.

– As a completely natural baby lotion and massage oil.

*  I rub it on my  boys’ faces to protect their sensitive skin before going out into very cold weather.

– Make your own baby wipes – boil a small cup of water and add one big table spoon of coconut oil to it  so that it melts. Then pour the mixture over a large pile of gauze in a box or Tupperware. *I use it as a diaper rash cream for my boys.

– Coconut Oil for hair – rub it onto the very ends of your hair and let it remain overnight and in the morning  make sure to washout well.

– Coconut oil for hair – rub into your scalp daily to stimulate hair growth in men

– Oil Pulling –  First thing in the morning when you wake up put a tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth and swish it between your teeth between 5 and 20 minutes, then spit out and scrape your tongue well. It’s been said that this can improve any cuts or soars, cure bad breath, provide good gum and oral health.

– I like to add a teaspoon to my coffee every morning.

– In smoothies

– In exchange of butter on bread – coconut oil is delicious

– I add a tablespoon of it to melt over my steamed vegetables – so yummy!

– As an alternative to butter in many baking recipes.

What I always do after my shower and before drying off is massage the oil into my wet skin for extra moisture and I also do this for my boys. Take my word for it , your skin will simply glow. I am always very conscious of  what I put on my skin, especially during my pregnancies and while breastfeeding. I once heard we should never put anything on our skin in which we can’t eat. Our skin is our biggest and a very important organ so what we put on our skin can easily be absorbed into our circulation. Many skin products are just loaded with harmful chemicals and toxic materials. I highly recommend you give coconut oil a try. I always keep one jar of it in our kitchen and one in the bathroom.

Hope you enjoy it!

– Love JM

Posted on

A WISE WOMAN TOLD ME THIS ONCE AND IT CHANGED MY LIFE FOREVER

johanna1As beautiful as life can be, it can also be mean, disappointing, difficult, unfair and painful at times. After some experiences life threw my way I used to think that I would never be happy nor find a way to love and respect myself. One day I was so tired of my complaining and came to the conclusion that I still had a life and what I required from it would be entirely up to me. I made a choice then and there that I would not let my past experiences bring me down anymore, I would use them as lessons. I was going to try and use the wisdom I had gained to help others. I wanted more happiness in my days and while I was trying to practice positivity it just wasn’t happening. So I started to do some ME work – meditating and yoga to try and calm the inner storm brewing within. One thing led to another and I found myself in Puerto Rico at a raw food school where they teach you how to heal your body through food, inner peace and the most important one of all – SELF LOVE. I was too skinny for my body type and height and also suffered from bad skin; plain and simple I was NOT happy nor healthy. My emotions and self-esteem were weighing me down. I went there to learn and be better at being me. I wanted to heal, eat well and nourish my body and soul.

Once there I met a woman whom was teaching and she was so inspiring to me. I don’t believe she knows just how much she changed my life. I would like to share what I learned from her with you in the hopes that it might help. Anyone out there who feels a bit lost or maybe even just needs a little encouragement can follow this.

After a conversation with her about my health, feelings and thoughts she told me, “Johanna, now relax and release your johanna2thoughts toward your heart. Imagine that you have a little daughter, the love you have for her, things you will and want to do for her. The words you use to speak to her. Imagine hugging her and showing her how much you care. The protection she gets from you. Keep her safe from all the bad words people use against one another. The food you will make for her will include all the best ingredients you can find. The most healthy food possible so she can grow strong and stay healthy all her life. Now imagine that little girl is YOU. Why don’t you provide yourself with all these things? Why are we not so generous with ourselves?”Now that is a very good question, isn’t it?

Well this was a turning point for me and I hope this little story can help you as well. Put yourself in the same position. I am sure there will be quite a long list of things to change right away. For an example, how we choose to speak to ourselves. It’s hard to be happy when someone is mean to you all the time. As our days get busy and we have so many things to do, a family to take care of, dinner to make and the list goes on and on.. we tend to forget the most important thing – US. To keep our children and partner happy and relaxed we must also be the same way. Taking good care of ourselves benefits the people we live with and care for. Love and beauty really come from within; this is a fact. A happy mom breeds happy kids which results in a bigger heart, more patience, warmer hugs and tender kisses. At the end of the day these things are really the most important and many times they are the most forgotten.

I am still on this journey. I keep making mistakes. But I think that it’s okay and quite normal because this is how life is. It makes me feel less guilty if I continuously make an effort to learn from my mistakes. And in the mean time just give every day your best.

 

love, JM

Posted on

ARE YOU FEELING TIRED ?

postjanauryWhen I have had my many sleepless nights and busy days with my lovely children I, like so many of us, feel the urge to reach for some tasty chocolate or will have a huge craving for carbs in all their many glorious versions.  Searching for an energy boost so I won’t fall asleep while I  color with my boys or build a few houses out of blocks. Even after 1 to 3 days of bad food choices, too much sugar and too little sleep I can feel my body  out of it’s natural balance and I am left depleted of energy. Needless to say, my body is far from happy.

The mistake I seem to make from time to time,  as do many  mothers, fathers, women and men, is that we look in the wrong direction for a quick energy boost. If we have a bit of time we would be better off taking a nap instead of grabbing for the sugar ( bad craving). Then when  lunch and dinner arrives we can make those meals count. Those will give you sustaining energy not just a quick fix.  Even if that is not exactly  what you are craving, I swear you will feel a 1000x better all by cutting out beloved but addicting sugar , bad carbs and gluten containing foods.

Sugar is like a drug. It plays with our bodies in a very negative way, creates an addiction to it and interrupts our nervous system,  emotions and steals our energy and health. Feeds Cancer cells, causes headaches, obesity, eczema (especially in children) and this is only naming a few of it’s hazardous side effects! We have become addicted to sugar and our bodies keep craving more.  The  list of how badly sugar treats us is so long and shocking. The other bad news is that it’s hidden EVERYWHERE. If you start reading labels on products you buy, even from the health food store you will be amazed at how sugar is hidden in almost everything.

One day I was at a health food store reading labels on organic baby food and it made me so sad and furious  because in food for 6 month old babies their was tons of sugar added. I  don’t understand why? There is no way that any mother blending food for her little baby at home  would decide to put sugar in so why should we buy these products ?

Take a few days to look close at your daily intake of sugar and even your child’s . See what can be better and give it a try. While you are going through the changes it can be difficult and you will crave your sugar more than ever. A few helpful hints during this detox that worked for me are: Make a cup of tea or drink a BIG glass of water instead , wait a little and the craving will go away. It is good to exercise and up your water intake to help the body  get rid of  toxins that sugar created.  A steam session in a sauna works very well too!  After just a few days you will feel full of energy, sleep 10x better, it will be easier to wake up in the morning, make you a calmer more pleasant  mother and partner but most importantly you will be better to you.

There is a page I read when I need answers to my questions called:
http://www.drmercola.com he is an Osteopathic physician and he writes so many useful article about healthcare for you, your family and  pets .  He has written many useful articles about sugar if you are interested in finding out more information.

 

love, JM

 

Posted on

WATER

There are many natural ways to prevent illness and restore good health. One of them and probably the most important is to DRINK WATER. I constantly repeat this simple tip to my family, friends, and clients because it is THAT important. You are not just what you eat, you are also what you drink. If you are not a big water drinker, please give it a chance. Test this out to see just how you will feel and look after 10 days by drinking at least 2 liters of water daily. I promise you will notice and feel a huge difference.

During pregnancy and breastfeeding, consuming enough water really does improve your health and mood. I have had clients who are breastfeeding but still have constipated babies. The solution could simply be that the mother needs to up her intake of water. It is important that the body is hydrated in order to supply milk and in many cases the quality of milk also improves. I have witnessed this countless times and can also speak from my own personal experience.If you are feeling tired, dizzy or hungry but you just ate, try drinking a big glass of water and see how you feel. It might be a signal that you are thirsty. Your body is made up of 75% water and that water needs to flow through easily so that it can purify your system, so it makes sense to keep on drinking. Start your day with a very big glass of water (at body temperature or a bit warmer) and eat a good meal about 20-30 minutes later.

Water is also very therapeutic. There is nothing quite like a hot bath at the end of a busy day, a swim in the sea on a hot summer day or after a good work out or sauna. A good long shower is also super rejuvenating that sometimes I close my eyes and just listen to the sound of the running water. I notice my kids loving their bath time as they splash around, play and relax; I always have to drag them out. Our children also need to drink water, just how much will depend on their age. I always try to keep a water bottle on hand everywhere we go and I frequently remind them to take a sip, especially when travelling. Sometimes my boys are cranky, irritable, and complaining about this and that, but most times they are just thirsty. They also like me to add some fruit (kiwi, lime, blueberries, strawberries, mint or cucumber) into their glass. This helps keep the body even more hydrated.

If you are still curious about water there is a wonderful book called, “The Water Cure” written by Dr. Batmanghelidj. I recommend reading it as it is full of wonderful information on how water can heal and prevent illness.

Stay very happy, hydrated and don’t forget to drink your water ��

Love, JM